Vienna Terror Attack Marks Fifth Anniversary This Year

On November 2, in the morning, the political commemoration of the victims of the Vienna terrorist attack will take place at Desider-Friedmann-Platz. Present will be Mayor Michael Ludwig, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr, State Security Secretary Jörg Leichtfried, the Director General for Public Security Franz Ruf, and Vienna Police President Gerhard Pürstl. Former Chancellor Karl Nehammer will also attend. Chancellor Christian Stocker is absent due to health reasons, as is Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who is unavailable due to scheduling conflicts.

Investigation of the Vienna Terrorist Attack Took a Long Time

How the attacker reached downtown Vienna, whether he acted alone, and how he was able to keep his plans secret from the constitutional protection were subjects of political and judicial investigation in recent years. Under the leadership of criminal law expert Ingeborg Zerbes, a commission appointed by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice examined the behavior of the police and state security in the weeks and months before the attack. They had not recognized the threat potential of the later attacker. The attacker had met with several Islamists from Germany and Switzerland in Vienna in the summer before the attack and later traveled to Bratislava to buy ammunition. The security authorities did not draw the correct conclusions from this, as the commission later revealed.

Severe Prison Sentences for Accomplices After Vienna Terrorist Attack

The attack also occupied the judiciary. A unique trial concerning the accomplices took place at the Vienna Regional Court from autumn 2022. After around 20 days of hearings, four of the six accused men were finally sentenced to severe prison terms in February 2023, as they had supported the attacker in various ways, such as in procuring weapons. After the Supreme Court overturned parts of the verdict due to insufficient legal instruction of the jury (the conviction for aiding and abetting murder was not affected) and the trial was partially repeated, all received the maximum possible sentences: three life sentences, one 20-year sentence, as the last defendant was not yet 21 years old at the time of the crime. The other two received several months' sentences for membership in a terrorist organization but were acquitted of involvement in multiple murders.

The actual arms dealer, however, got away with a nine-month suspended sentence, as an investigation concerning the assault rifle was mistakenly closed, and the Slovenian was ultimately only held accountable for a handgun. The then Justice Minister Alma Zadić (Green Party) described the mistake by the Vienna prosecution authority as an "unacceptable error that must have clear consequences."

Over 3.3 Million Euros Paid Out from Terror Fund After Vienna Terrorist Attack

Based on the Crime Victims Act, 138 people - survivors or relatives of victims - were granted assistance after the terrorist attack. So far, a total of around 399,000 euros have been paid out in this context, as a request to the Ministry of Social Affairs showed. Additionally, a terror victim fund worth over 3.5 million euros was established, also to spare the victims lengthy court proceedings. This was not fully utilized. In total, 3.34 million euros were paid out to 106 people, as the crime victim assistance organization "Weißer Ring," which handled the payouts, announced upon APA request.

(APA/Red)

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